WHAT IS ELECTRONIC MUSIC?

It is a way of communication between a composer and a listener, using a wide range of electronic instruments generating sounds, which are not possible to generate outside electronic-acoustic sphere.

It is unusual music not only because the used instruments are the source of sounds from the outside of the traditional palette. The uniqueness of pieces of music depends on the personality of composers, their experiences, temperament, intimate experiences of the world. The usage of new technologies especially makes electronic music a part of civilisation progress. Digitalisation of emotions seems to be friendly towards nature. Primarily because of that the interest in synthesizer and computer composing usually goes beyond the general participation Jerzy Kordowicz (electronic music supporter, long term co-worker of Polish Radio, Programme 3).

The idea of electronic music includes many kinds of music, for example: experimental, musique concrete, tape, live electronic, electronic rock etc. Because of the permanent technological development new kinds of music come into existence whereas some of them are only part of the history.

This kind of music came into being thanks both to composers (including John Cage, Wendy Carlos, Pierre Schaeffer) and inventors of devices which enabled to build synthesizers (Graham Bell, Thomas Edison, Laurens Hammond, Robert Moog and other).

At the beginning the pieces of electronic music were known among few people, because it was rarely heard outside experimental studios or avant-garde artistic events. Eventually composers started to publish electronic music like other kinds of music. One of the crucial moments was publishing of Switched-on Bach by Wendy Calros, which took place in 1968 thanks to Columbia Record Company.

Electronic music became widespread in the seventies thanks to artists such as Jean Michel Jarre, Klaus Schulze, Mike Oldfield, and Tangerine Dream group, and in Poland: Marek Bilinski and the El-Division group (the eighties).

As mentioned above electronic music consists of wide range of musical genres. Pieces of music are characterised by stylistic diversity, which makes impossible to group them in specific styles in the traditional way. They are usually classified for the sake of their level of specialisation. The pieces of music, which are easy in reception, are rated among popular music or middle music. The pieces which demand concentration are rated as so called hard electronic.

Regardless of the artistic sphere electronic music finds application in many kinds of the media: radio, TV, commercials, movies and theatre or multimedia presentations. In other words, it finds application where melody is a supplement to word transmission. It meets the illustrative role. Moreover, its positive influence is used in different branches of medicine - as a supporting therapeutic means.

EQUIPMENT

INSTRUMENTS

Waldorf Blofeld

Moog Modular V

Minimoog Original

Korg NX5R

Korg M1

Korg Wavestation

Korg MS-20

Korg Polysix

Korg Mono/Poly

Yamaha SY22

Yamaha MU50

Cakewalk Dimension Pro

Cakewalk Rapture

Cakewalk Z3TA+ 2

Cakewalk Pentagon I

Native Instruments FM8

AAS Tassman 4

Superwave Performer

Superwave Tarkus

Superwave Equinoxe

E-mu Proteus X2

Ensoniq SQ-80

Roland JX-8P

Roland SC55

XLN Audio Addictive Drums 2

AJL VLINN

AJL VSDS-X

MIDI CONTROLLERS

M-Audio ProKeys 88SX

Studiologic SL-161 (x2)

Korg nanoKontrol2

Korg nanoKey2

Yamaha DD-55c

Midibox Voyager

BlueArp Arpeggiator

RnT2 modular host

MUSIC WORKSTATIONS

IBM PC / Cakewalk Sonar X3 Producer

ATARI 1040 ST / C-Lab Notator 3.21

DSPs

Korg MDE-X multi-effects

Cakewalk/Sonitus multi-effects

PRODUCER

BOB BANKS

Bob Banks is associated with the music world since 1965 when he managed and booked local bands. Working with the concerts he has met and worked with a lot of performers. Headliner acts such a LeAnn Rimes, Toby Keith, Vince Gill, .38 Special, Heart and the infamous Pink Floyd at the Hampton Collessium (1982). He has worked with Whisper Concerts and he is affiliated with BTRAX Inc.

Bob Banks is a producer of albums: Digital Tales, Beside the Silence as well as four recordings for Elprojekt.

MB PRODUCTIONS

Primaly MB Productions studio works with the Performing Arts and has created sequences and special effects for shows like the Wizard of Oz, Annie, Phantom of the Opera etc. Custom accompaniment are created for vocalist. Backgrounds for presentations, speeches, magic shows, and even circus performances and parades have been created.